Cesare Vaciago, chief executive of Turin 2006, suggested during the opening session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Turin Games debriefing in Vancouver that “mag-bags are completely useless”. According to the Canadian Press the “mag- bags” are devices similar to what passengers put their luggage through at airports and are often located at the entrances to venues of the Olympic Games where spectators, athletes and media pass through.
He said, “the mag-bag is not the requirement of the IOC. It’s the governments who always impose it. What I am simply suggesting is the imposition is expensive and useless”.
Vaciago told reporters later that there are simpler ways of inspecting security.
John Furlong, chief executive officer for Vancouver 2010 said there would be time to discuss the idea during the debriefing. He said, “it was a reference point. We’ll have a better chance to understand their views on all of that throughout the week and we’ll see what their ideas are”.
Vaciago said mag-bag devices were not used at all venues at the recent World Cup – instead police scanned spectators with hand-held wands.
Vaciago said the mag-bags are expensive at a cost of $28 million, and require as many as 2,500 police to operate.
